Author - Alex Archer / Victor Milan
ISBN - 0373621205
Publication Date - 2006
Plot - Annja Creed is an Indiana Jones type archaeologist, running into and out of scrapes trying to track down some historical artifact that is rumored as part of mythology and she must confirm or deny their very existence. Part of a larger series of Rogue Angel Novels, Solomon's Jar is the second installment in the series of novels developed under the Pen Name of Alex Archer. The story starts off in the best Indiana Jones cliffhanger fashion where she is researching some artifact out in the wild areas of Peru. She ends up running into some deadly men thinking that she is some spy sent to watch over their movements. They demand that the villagers release her. Deciding not to let the villagers get into too much trouble she leads them away on a long chase culminating in a walk over a bridge where, like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, she decides to cut the bridge out from under them, holding onto the planks and able to survive as it crashes into the rock wall, despite breaking her nose.
The readers are then taken to more modern surroundings and Annja is introduced to the idea the Solomon's Jar has been found. It was rumored to hold mystical powers and told that Solomon was able to bind the worlds demons in it after building the temple in Jerusalem. The story takes the familiar twists and turns allowing the evil people to briefly have access to the precious artifact only to finally fall into the hands of the good guys. They are then confronted with a struggle within themselves. Should they attempt to use the artifact to their own advantage, or will it destroy them inside in the process. Eventually they decide for the best to give the item up. As opposed to Indiana Jones, who is strictly American and would only release such an artifact to an American Museum or government agency, Annja decides to sell of the artifact to a former Russian Agent, who has taken care of its safekeeping into the future.
Book Review - While certainly an interesting story, Solomon's Jar makes far too many easy references to Indiana Jones. While changing the character to female certainly changes some of the dynamics involved in her various brushes with death the Rogue Angel series is not enough of a unique chapter in the cliffhanger genre to engender much excitement. Created by the Harlequin executive Randall Toy, the Rogue Angel series was envisioned as a series involving a modern day Joan of Arc. And while I know that Joan of Arc plays prevalently in the first novelization in the series, this series might has well have been called Miss Indiana Jones, and no one would have know much of a difference in style or tone. A further problem with this genre is that many of the brushes with death, while fascinating and harrowing as they are portrayed on the silver screen, seem to be lacking in depth as they are described in words on a page. There is no Alexander Dumas swashbuckling magic to be had here. This is only Indiana Jones lite.
Reader's Annotation - Are deadly marauders barreling down a village? Is the only way to escape these people that you must fly a bi-plane to escape a fate worse than death? Are you trapped on both sides of a bridge with people out to kill you? No problem. This is all in a days work for Annja Creed.
About the Author - While Alex Archer is listed as the official author for the Rogue Angel series, this is an entirely fictitious name for the various authors they have used to write in this series. This was designed by the Harlequin romance people, created to make stories in the same series in rapid succession, costing them relatively little money and not having to be high quality works of art. As Solomon's Jar was published in 2006, there have already been 24 other novels published in the Rogue Angel series to date. Most of the first works were written by Victor Milan, or Mel Odom. This particular book was written by Victor Milan as he has a small credit on the back of the front page.
Victor Milan has been involved primarily in the science fiction genre for most of his writing. They have classified this as libertarian science fiction, focusing on the politics and social order of futuristic societies from a libertarian perspective. He has also written in the Star Trek Universe. In more recent years he has seemed to pair together with the Harlequin people and write under pen names for several of their different series, including the Alex Rider Series.
Genre- Science Fiction / Fantasy
Curriculum Ties - Discuss the actual Temple built by Solomon at Jerusalem - History / Mythology / Theology
Booktalking Ideas - Discuss the temple and all of the different aspects of the temple written in the account in the Kings in the Bible. Discuss how mythology is created and larger myths are developed.
Reading Level/Interest Age - Grade 8+
Challenge Issues - Possible challenges by overly religious people who would argue of the inaccuracies of Solomon having a jar with demons held inside, suggesting that their religious freedom's are being abridged.
Overcoming Challenges - Discuss Indiana Jones and many other areas where people have used ancient mythical artifacts. If necessary include Veggie Tales and the search for Solomon's Hair brush and ask if the religious zealots would really want to remove Veggie Tales from the collection.
Why Included -I was curious as to what Harlequin would do with an Indiana Jones type story and how the idea of a female in that role would change the dynamics of the situations.
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